How to Hang Curtains in a Left-Hand Bay Window with Return
If you’re wondering how to hang curtains in your left-hand bay window, I’ll show you the arrangement I recommend and explain why it works well.
Your bay doesn’t need to look exactly like the example below. What matters is that it is a left-hand bay with a right-angled corner.
You’ll also see where to take the one measurement you need to get a price and place your order.
Recognise your bay shape
Your bay has one main, wide window. This may be a single large window or divided into several sections—we still count it as one wide window.
There’s then a smaller window on the left, at a 90-degree angle to the main window.
How I recommend hanging your curtains
In most cases, your curtains will hang in front of the window sill, then turn out of the bay onto the wall on the left.
They can finish a few centimetres below the sill, just above a radiator, or down at floor level—the choice is yours.
The length you choose doesn’t change the shape of the curtain track or the way it follows your bay.
What is a return—and why have one?
A return is the short section of curtain track that turns out of the bay and runs along the room wall on the left. It allows your curtain to wrap around the corner and hang against that wall.
This lets you draw the curtain further off the window than if the track stopped inside the bay, allowing more light into the room.
On the flat side of your bay, extend the curtain track about 20 cm past the window if you have room. This lets you stack that curtain further off the window when it’s open, just as the return does on the shaped side of the bay.
Plus your long curtains can hang straight down without being pushed out by the window sill.
Where to measure to get a price
Follow the dotted line in the image and measure the full path your curtain track will follow, from one end to the other. Include the return out onto the room wall on the shaped side of the bay, allowing at least 20 cm of track along that wall if you have room. On the flat side, include the straight extension about 20 cm past the window if space allows.
Add these measurements together. This total is the only bay measurement you need to get a price and place your order.
Ready to choose your bay curtain track?
If this is your bay shape and you’d like your curtains to hang as shown, you’re ready to get a price for your track.
No other bay measurements needed yet — your total measurement is enough to get started. I’ll guide you through the other measurements after you’ve placed your order.
I’ll check everything before we start making your track. If anything needs checking, I’ll get in touch so we can go through it together.
Want a peep at the other measurements?
If you’d like a heads-up on the other measurements we’ll need after you’ve ordered, watch the video. You can also print the measuring template and fill it in at your own pace.
Once you’ve placed your order, you can upload your completed template through your measuring page.
